The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of globe artichoke, a perennial herb that is grown as a food crop for the production of edible vegetable delicacies. The new invention is known botanically as Cynara scolymus and will be referred to hereinafter by the cultivar name ‘X42’. Cynara scolymus is in the family Asteraceae, formerly known as Compositae.
An individual plant of Cynara scolymus ‘X42’ is comprised of main stem, lateral stems, leaves, and immature flower buds known as involucra. Each involucrum is made up of several series of phyllaries also known as involucral bracts. The edible parts of freshly harvested immature flower buds are the fleshy part of the bracts, the fleshy receptacle, and the uppermost part of the peduncle. If not harvested, but permitted to mature, flower buds will develop into flower heads known as capitula.
The new Cynara variety named ‘X42’ was discovered in October 2004 by the inventor as a natural somaclonal variant derived from the parent, an individual Cynara scolymus ‘BCL 9-11’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 15,807). The inventor selected ‘X42’ based on the criterion of high productivity of edible immature flower buds. ‘X42’ was discovered in and amongst a commercial crop of Cynara scolymus ‘BCL 9-11’ in Lompoc, Calif. At the time of discovery ‘X42’ was selected as a single plant and segregated and labeled for observation. No chemicals, nor other methods, known to the inventor, were used to induce the new variety ‘X42’.
The first asexual propagation of ‘X42’ was conducted by the inventor in March 2005 using the method of crown divisions. Crown divisions then served as explant material for subsequent asexual propagation by tissue culture in June 2005. Under the inventor's supervision asexual propagation was conducted in Lompoc, Calif. where the plants were labeled and segregated. Since March 2005 under careful observation ‘X42’ has been determined uniform, stable and true to type in subsequent generations of asexual propagation.